In conjunction with my writing frustrations, my Panthers decided to lose the next game to Southern Illinois by a score of 20-27. I have a few problems with this game almost every year. First off, scheduling this game for the University of Northern Iowa’s homecoming was a terrible idea. This is the second time it was been done. The reason is that three years ago we beat the living crap out of a winless Illinois State team. We dominated them so quickly, the majority of the second half consisted of both teams running the ball on every down and eventually punting it to the other team. Given the option, I am pretty sure both coaches would have gladly called the game early. The result was the crowd leaving in mass exodus before the end of the third quarter. I understand the importance of a quality game during homecoming. However, I also understand the importance of scheduling a team in which there is a very reasonable chance of beating. While UNI had a good shot at beating Southern Illinois, picking the hardest team on the schedule and the biggest rival is a bad idea. It just so happens that the homecoming crowd is rather mediocre compared to big game crowds. This is due to all the alumni returning and spending the majority of the game talking to the people around them than getting into the game. Now, if the toughest opponent is put a couple weeks after homecoming, an equal crowd will show, but it will be much more intense. In an atmosphere like the UNI-Dome, the difference in impact on the game is huge. We easily could have scheduled a Youngstown State or Western Illinois and expected a decent game. So not only are the chances of losing homecoming reduced, but the probability of winning the most difficult game is increased. Without a doubt, Southern Illinois is the toughest game on the Panther schedule. It has been every year since I began attending the university.